Sunday, September 23, 2018

Remembering My 2018 Predictions: The World Series

Here is a quick look at my predictions for the 2018 World
Series!

The field is set. 162 games are in the books. Three rounds
of the postseason are done and over with. Two teams remain. This is the World
Series. This is the Fall Classic. Let’s do this. Prediction Season continues
here on The Greedy Pinstripes as we take the next step towards our yearly
predictions by predicting the World Series. I have laid out the division
winners, the Wild Card winners, and even went as far as to predict every
win/loss record for all 30 MLB teams. I then went one step further and
predicted the entire postseason for both the American League and the National
League, and it has all come down to this. The 2018 World Series between the New
York Yankees and the Washington Nationals.

Can you imagine the ratings on FOX that we are going to see
for this potentially epic series? The Yankees head into Washington as the road
team for Game One since the Nationals will have home-field advantage throughout
the World Series garnering all the attention that the young Baby Bombers
should. Aaron Judge can be seen answering questions by reporters out in right
field, Giancarlo Stanton can be seen doing the same in the dugout as we prepare
for a game without a designated hitter. Luis Severino is out in the bullpen
throwing to Gary Sanchez, while Didi Gregorius is signing autographs out by the
third base visitor’s dugout. The stage is set. Bryce Harper is in the Nationals
dugout being asked more questions about his plans for his impending free agency
and whether he wants to play for the Yankees than he is the World Series at
hand, but Bryce is answering those questions with political correctness and a
swag unmatched by any impending free agent before him. The stage is
set.

These two teams are surprisingly evenly matched up at every
turn. The Yankees may have a slight edge in starting pitching, especially if
the team goes out and acquires a great starter in July like many expect them to
while the likes of Severino, Masahiro Tanaka and Sonny Gray pitch to the backs
of their baseball cards, and in the bullpen, although when Brandon Kintzler is
your 7th inning guy it goes to show you how deep the Washington bullpen
can be, but the offenses can both potentially be spectacular. How will the
Yankees fare playing four games in a National League park while having to leave
one of Aaron Judge, Giancarlo Stanton, Greg Bird, Aaron Hicks or Brett Gardner
on the bench? Just fine, that’s how they will fare.

The Yankees lineup is deep, powerful and intimidating from
top to bottom. This team was built from within and is deep as they come
offensively. This offense does not center around just one or two men, the
entire lineup from top to bottom can beat you on any single pitch in any single
game. There is potentially a different hero every night, which brings
goosebumps to the skin just thinking about the possibility and the similarities
to the Dynasty Yankees from the 90’s and 2000’s. The Nationals are a good team,
maybe even a great team, but this New York Yankees squad is just special.
Period. Get off the tracks, the New York Yankees are coming. It may take all
seven games, although I am leaning towards six games here to be honest, but the
Yankees will be hoisting that World Series Championship trophy over their heads
one more time, and that one more time is here in 2018.